Hard disk is not getting detected

**invisibleman12** · 02-08-2007, 03:49 PM

Hello all,
I am a novice user of Linux. I am trying to install Suse Linux on my PC. But I am getting a message "Hard disk not detected". But when I installing Windows XP Professional, I am able to see the hard disk and windows installation is going very smoothly

Is it because I am installing 32 bit software (Linux) on a 64 bit machine?
My PC Configuration is:
Intel pentium D 2.8 GHz
Intel D101Ggc MOTHER BOARD
1 GB RAM
SEAGATE 160GB SATA HDD

Please help me!!

Thanks in advance.

**trickster** · 02-08-2007, 05:50 PM

My guess is that it is not detecting the SATA drive. Are you using the latest version of SuSE?

**invisibleman12** · 02-09-2007, 04:00 AM

Thank you for your response!!

I am using Suse 9 version. Even I tried with Linux Enterprise edition. Can you tell me which is the latest version of Linux? Can I get a free installation CD (for evaluation and personal purpose only)? If yes, please post the procedure for getting the CD.

**mechdave** · 02-09-2007, 06:40 AM

Invisible man,
This link http://www.linux.org/dist/ will take you to where you can select different distrubutions suited for your 64 bit machine in various languages. Have a look there and then do a bit of research on the distros before you install and you should be able to find an install with sata and 64 bit support.
Good luck,
mechdave...

**trickster** · 02-09-2007, 11:25 AM

SuSE is but one flavor of linux. There are multiple distributions out there.

Here's a link to the evaluation for version 10 of SuSE: http://www.novell.com/products/server/eval.html Please note that it doesn't expire, but only limits your updates.

You can download the community version of SuSE here:
http://en.opensuse.org/Welcome_to_openSUSE.org This is completely free and has no encumbrance on updates.

You can read here about some different linux distributions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_distributions

Finally, there's a thread somewhere where you can request copies of installation cd's from other members. Most of the time, they are willing to mail them for free or just a nominal fee. Since most (if not all) linux distributions are comprised of open source software, it is perfectly legal to share the installation cd's.

**Suddenend** · 05-03-2007, 02:48 PM

I am new to Linux too and have been struggling with the same problem for a few days. This is what I discovered:

My Linux box is based on an Abit SG95 motherboard with a SATA hard drive. In the motherboard BIOS I have the option of configuring SATA over IDE, AHCI or RAID. selecting each of these BIOS options in turn renders the following results:

If I set the BIOS to IDE every version of Windows from 2000 upwards can see the SATA drive, but none of the Linux distributions I have can see it (Ubuntu 7.04 & Suse 10.2).
Setting the BIOS to AHCI allows the Linux versions to see the drive, but makes it invisible to Windows.
Setting the BIOS to RAID allows both sets of Operating Systems see the drive, but results in a complete wipe of all the data on it. Re-installation of any OS prompts a request for, or the automatic installation of, RAID drivers and therefore goes ahead without incident.

Obviously it would make sense for me to set the BIOS to RAID and re-install my dual boot system onto the now clean drive. However In this instance I wanted to get AHCI working for both systems, because AHCI has features I want and RAID is hardly appropriate for a single drive system.

With experimentation I found I could install Windows NTFS partitions while the BIOS had the IDE option running, then could switch to AHCI to install the Linux file systems. The Grub bootloader didn't seem to care which interface system was running, but starting an operating system was only possible if the correct BIOS setting was active at launch time. This meant I was forced to enter the BIOS at startup to switch from IDE to AHCI and vice versa every time I wanted to switch OSs. Not an ideal solution, but it did work.

I found the real solution to my problem on my mobo chipset manufacturer's website (SIS). There I found AHCI drivers for the various Windows versions. Starting a Windows installation using these drivers made the AHCI hard drive visible and allowed me to install both the Microsoft software and then subsequently the various Linux versions I required.

I now have a smoothly running multi-boot Linux/Windows PC.

**Rafi K.B** · 08-23-2007, 06:06 AM

Hello all,

I am a new joinee of Linux site. I am trying to install Red Had Linux version 9.0 on my PC. But I am getting a message "Hard disk not found or detected". also i have chage my mode in BIOS But when I installing Windows XP Professional, I am able to see the hard disk and windows installation is going very smoothly

My PC Configuration is:
Intel pentium 3.0 GHz
Intel 865 MOTHER BOARD
512 MB DDR RAM
80 GB SATA HDD

Please guid me!!

Urs Friends.
Mr.Rafi K.B

**nounou** · 08-26-2007, 06:21 AM

hi,
some distros had problems detecting the SATA jmicron that controll some drives maybe it is why...
now AHCI must be selected before you install windows (and you need the floppy with the specific drivers on it!) because once windows installed it wont recognise the drive if you change this...AHCI is interesting if you want to activate the NCQ of the drive. and then you can install your favorite linux (make sure you pick the latest release)...If you don't plan to install windows it is much easier as there will be no AHCI/no AHCI problem.

I just installed a linux distrib on a new system and my mandriva spring had no problems for the AHCI...But needed a kernel update for Network...